UMass Amherst Libraries

Focusing on Undergraduates: Library Collections, Services and Facilities

 

 

PDF of report incorporating staff feedback (May 23, 2007)

PDF of initial report (February 22, 2007)

 

Executive summary of report

 

Undergraduate students represent the largest user population for the UMass Amherst Libraries. Over 19,000 in number, undergraduate students are diverse in their discipline of study, their ethnic and social background, their understanding and use of information technologies, and their familiarity with the collections and services offered by a large research library. A dynamic relationship between the library, these students, and the faculty that teach them is essential for a successful undergraduate educational and social experience.

 

The library’s Focusing on Undergraduates Self-Study Team was asked to consider the following questions:

 

Where are we today?

 

• Document accomplishments, especially in the context of the Libraries’ Three Year Plan and Self-Study/External Review Process

• Analyze relevant statistics and assessment data

• Examine our impact on campus, faculty, and undergraduate students

 

What are other libraries doing now?

 

• Initiate an environmental scan of library activities at comparable institutions including benchmarks and best practices for undergraduate student services

• Investigate how other university libraries are evolving services to undergraduate students

 

How do we envision the future?

 

Undergraduate services and undergraduate education

Undergraduate collections

Undergraduate spaces and facilities

Staffing

Budget

Assessment

Outreach

 

• Define a realistic vision of collections, services, and facilities required to meet the demands of undergraduate education in the next five to seven years

• Suggest innovations in terms of staffing (organization, training, workflow), collections, facilities and technology

• Recommend areas where current efforts can be curtailed or eliminated

• Provide broad-based expectations regarding the cost of this vision in terms of staffing, collections, facilities and technology

 

Process

 

The Focusing on Undergraduates Self-Study Team:

 

• Discussed and organized a work plan addressing the questions asked above

• Solicited input from staff, faculty, students, and appropriate community members regarding these questions

• Drafted an initial five/seven page report addressing these questions

• Will provide a variety of opportunities for comment, discussion and input from staff, faculty, and students regarding initial draft

• Will draft an interim five/seven page report to include comments made on the initial report.

• Will provide a variety of opportunities for comment, discussion and input from staff, faculty, and students regarding interim draft

• Will draft a final report

 

Timeline

 

The Initial draft report is due to be circulated for comment beginning February 16, 2007.

 

Members

 

Emily Alling, Coordinator, Learning Commons & Undergraduate Library Services

Theresa Billiel, Tiered Reference Assistant

J. Michael Davis, Business Reference Services Librarian

Isabel Espinal, Information Literacy Specialist

Janet Hughes, Coordinator of Reserves

lucinda Lucey, Senior Cataloging Assistant

Linda Matson, Electronic Resources and Systems Librarian

Anne C. Moore, Associate Director for User Services, Chair

Maxine Schmidt, Science and Engineering Reference Services Librarian

Kelcy Shepherd, Project Director, Five College Finding Aids

Tonia Sutherland, Research Library Resident

Annette Vadnais, Information Desk Supervisor